Tunneling and shaft-boring machine.



F. M. ILER.

TUNNELING AND SHAFT BORING MACHINE.

APPLICATION TILED MAY 11, 1908.

Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

3 BHEETB-SHEET 1.

a 4 2E 0 5 2,5: 41 m y a 6 2 v a P. M. ILER. TUNNELING AND SHAFT BORING MACHINE. APPLIDATION FILED MA Y11,-1908.

986,293. Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M, az 11.5

Quorum F. M. ILER. TUNNBLING AND SHAFT BORING MACHINE,

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 11 1908.

' Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

Teal! whom it concern:

Boring Machines, of which the followin a specification.

rnanxnrn in. ILER, or DEN-YER, oononano.

TtINNELING m) SHAFT-BORING MhGHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent:

Application fitedMay 11, 1908. Serial m; 432,087.

Be it known thatI, FR.\1\KLIN M. Inna, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Deuver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Tunneling and Shaft- This invention relates to machines intend ed to cut a shaft or tunnel directly through rock, and its objects are to improve the struc' ture of the n'iacliinc as a whole, the means for mounting drills, and the means for'feed ing and operating the machine whereby it will easily and efiiciently=cut a clean shaft straight through solid materialsurh as rock.

The invention contemplates the use of pneumatically operated drills and includes means bywhich they may be easily land quickly adjusted to proper position, and may be made. to coverithe entire 'silrfaee whichit is desired to cut away.

The novel features are fully set forth in .the following description and drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the preferred form of my machine; Fig. 2 is an end view of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

" Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the main supply pipe; and Fig.

shaft and hollow skeleton spider head; Fig. t is an enlarged detail view of a portion of ratchet. feeding mechanism; Fig. 5 isa side elevation partly broken away showing a modified form of mechanism for feeding the machine forward; Fig. (3 is an end view of the structure. shown in Fig. 5: Fig. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the joint. be: tween the main shaft. of the machine and the 8 is an enlarged detail perspective View of the adj ustable means. for securing the drills in place.-

As shown-in Figs. 1 and 2 of the draw ings, my apparatus includes a main rotatable hollow'shaft l which is mounted on a frame 2 -\\'hieh is supported by shafts- 3 and 4 nmunted upon the wheels 5, (Sand 7.. These wheels have V-shaped grooves which fit the V-shaped metal tracks 8, 9 which 'are supported by the cross ties 10 which are prefcr-.

ablymade of wood.

The frame 2 has upon its top the journal bearings 11. 12 within which shaft 1 is mounted and rotates. Secured to the shaft gear wheel 13 which meslics at its lower'part with a small pinion 14 operated by a worm gear on the shaft 15, whichshaft' 15 is tools.

.arms 28 inv any driven bya 16 any suitable inotor'.

' 17. I have shown diagrammatically the motor 17 as an electricj motor, and as mounted upon a table or framel. A pipe 19-.is secured to the endof the shaft 1 by means of a ball bearing vstuffing.jointwhieh permits'the'relative rotation of. the parts, and to this pipe 19 I secure the flexible hose 20 which supplies the "fluid. preferably air, for operating the drills hereafter described.

Upon the forward end of the shaft 1 I have shown a flange 21. and to this flan e is sec-mred the hollow skeleton spider head 22 7 which is preferably formed in one piece and 1 includes the radiating arms 23 placed. at an. angle to the shaft 1'. I preferably make the outer-ends .of the arms as shown in Fig. 3

at right angles to the shaft 1, and with the enlargements' or bosses having 0 enings '25 the'rethrough for the passage 0 bolts.

The arms 23 alsohave openings 26 which may be made in any desired number to 'reair pressure to the drills.

I secur to the'ou'te endsof thearms ceive theend 2710f the pipes which supply cross arms 28 which are bolted to -the 'enlargements 24. These cross arms are. preferably made of fiat wrought. meta-l bars, and 35 I. preferably place one up'on each side of each arm 23, thereby producing symmetrical radiating arms at right angles to the shaft 1." One. pair'of these-arms extends entirely across the machine, and one arm of each of the-other pairs is preferably secured to these arms shown. I may also iise the cross braces 2!) connecting adjacent. arms' for the purpose of strengthening-the machine. On

the outer. ends of the arms 28 I place the scrapers 30 which may be made in-the shape of blades, plows or .cupsdesigned to carry awaythe cuttings which fall to the bottom of he shaft from the various cutting scrapers carry the cuttings up and deliver them into a. eonveyer not shown, for carrying them-out 'of the shaft. \Vhile I prefer to use .the.wrought metal arms 28-as illustrated, it is to be understoo constitute a. continuation of the arms 23, and

that my invention isnot ilimlt ed to this particu-lar construction. 1 back of the journal bearing 11 isthe large;

ramped Mar. 7,1911.

framework 18 carried by the It to .be understood that these that these arms s for secur ng them to the by tubes 32 which may be made flexible, and which may be providedwith' valves 33. As a convenient meansforclamping the drills in place 'I' have shown the drill-casin provided with a'longitudinal T-sha-ped s ch34 adapted to receive the heads of the bolts 35 whietr-passthrough the loose clamping mem- 37.1 I'have 'f the' drills at the; outer margin of the machine placed'at an angle so as to cut a rounded .in-

bers 36havin downturned en aging points tfiind that it is desirable to have stead o-f a-sharp corner, and in orderto conveniently moui1t th drills in this position I have shown cross pieces 38 connecting adacent arms 28 upon which the drills may be clamped at the: desired. angle. B the ar .rangement of arms above'in'dicate it is apparent I that "the neumatically operated drillsmayfbeplace at various'points from the'accenter to'the outer margin of the machine so that upon therevolution of the operating..'parts some drill will strike every pointioithdsurface at'the end of the shaft.

* Qh Y-i InJIorder -to :teedjthemachir'ie forward and I inpropierposition,with' relation to the s aft; I employ 3 a pawl and -"lataieeme h aismoperated by v a weighted grin; as sh'owii-"clearly in .;Fig's. '1, 5 and 6.

11- one form of this *"mechanism I provide teeth39 on thenia rginof the wheels 2 on one side ofrth'e frame'and-place the longitudinal 'arm' 40j carryingf'thegpawl's tl above these wheels-= tha he lower inclined points 42 -pf the pawls willenlga 'gethe teeth on the wheel; -Onee11tl'of t e arm is pivotally secured to the angle piece43 mounted to turn' on. the 'shaft 4 andhaving rigidly setends to force the machine forward, and this tendency niay be regulated by adjusting the weight to various positions on the arm.' In order to prevent the weight, which normally tends to force the machine forward, from bringing .it into'close contact with-the end of the shaft-so as; to interfere wi." the opera-.

tion of tl1c dri lls, I provide rollers or casters 46 which engage the end ofthc shaft and hold the pneumatic tools at just the right position for effective operation. This position will be such that the exhaust port oftlie pneumatic tool is open when. the end of the tool strikes the wall at the end of the shaft. I

In order to reverse the machine andiidraw it away from the end of the shaft it isionly,

ins, which a'ctas pawlsso that the incline lower oint will.- roln that necessary to reverse the face in "the opposite direction shown and to' then crank'the -arm) For purpose the weight may be removed. T;

I prefer to make the track on which the machine runs in this form of the machine,

of short metal pieces 61 shaped as indicated" .m Fig. 1, so that they may be easilyflandi quickly put in place and secured together? I resting u' on the cross ties beneath; since iii the use ,0, the machine it is customary to remove sections of the track behind themaplaee those 500- chine as it advances and to tions in front of the machine.-

- My preferred feeding mechanism-'ishowever shown in Figs. 5 and 6, wherein the frame 2- is mounted ontwo longitudinal screws 47, 48 instead; of on' rollers. The

screws are secured tothe frame by means of straps or yokes d9 fitting-in circumferential screws ina fixed relation to the-frame. The

grooves in the screws-seas toimaintain thescrews rest in semi-circular sockets in they".

plates- 50 mounted onj-the' cross ties and l:

thesesockets are provided'l'witlij scr" corresponding with thosel'on the. cr.

b ead reason of the fact that the strapsi or' yokes i are in the grooves beneaththeibottom of-the'" screw threads they will not interferelwithj..

the passage of the screws across atlicfplat'es- 50. It will be understoodthat the'rotation 1100" gagement with the fixed plates 50,make the" screws travel longitudinally carrying; the

of the screwslwill by reason offtheir'em frame with them. The screws are turned by pawl and ratchet mechanism-1 similar to that described in connection with. the

.wheel supported frame. The pawls engage toothed wheels 51 on therear ends off'the screws, and as shown, the weight 52 tends normally to force the machine forward;

".lhe pawls may be reversed in order to withdraw the machmc as' al'iovedcscrlbed. In

this form of the machine the plates 50 having the semi-circular sockets may be regarded as the track on which the machine travels. 'lhesc plates are vertically adjusta-hle hyancans of the screw threaded sup-' ports at their" ends.

The hall hearing shilling joint between shaft 1 and supply pipe. 1!) is clearly shown in Fig. 8. It includes the detachable ring 54 secured to the end of slntft 'l by holts 55 and having the interior eircuulferential flange 5h furnishing a hearing for the balls 7 57. A liauge 58 on pipe 19 furnishes the other hearing. A. detachable ring 59 fits between ring 54 and'pipe. l9 and holds in place the packing (i0.

It will be understood that modifications may he made in the details shown without departing from my invention, and that I do :not wish to limit myself to the exact form f continuation of said hollow shaft and projecting therefrom at an angle, means for supporting fluid operated drills by said arms in various adjusted positions at difi'erent points, and means for connecting the inlet ports of said drills with the interior of said arms. 4

2. In a rock drilling machine, the combination with a suitable frame, of a hollow rotatable shaft carried by said frame, divergent rigid hollow arms constituting a con-.

tinuation of said hollow shaft and rojecting therefrom at an angle, means filr supporting fluid operated drills'by said arms at any adjusted position from'the center to the outer margin ofthe machine, and means for connect-ing the inlet ports of said drills with the interior of said arms.

3. In a rock drilling machine, the combination with a suitable fame, of a hollow rotatable shaft carried by said frame, a skeleton spider head rigid with said shaft hav ing hollow arms constituting a continuation thereof, means for securing fluid operated:

drills to said arms at different points later:

erally of said hollow shaft, and means for" connecting the inlet ports of said drills with the interior of said arms. 4. In a rock drilling machine, a hollow rotatable shaft having a cast metalv skeleton spider head includinghollow outwardly and forwardly extending arms, the ends of which extend at substantially. right angles to the hollow shaft, cross arms, and means for se-. curing said cross arms to said ends.

In a rock drilling machine, a hollow rotatable shaft having a cast metal skeleton spider head including hollow outwardly and forwardly extending arms. the ends of which extend at substantially right. angles to the hollow shaft and cross arms carrying drills secured to said ends.

6. In a. rock drilling machine, the combination with a hollow rota-table shaft, of a skeleton spider head for said shaft having spider arms, and cross arms secured to said spider arms at substantially right angles to the shaft.

7. In a rock drilling machine, the combination with a hollow rotatable shaft, of a cast metal skeleton spider head secured to said shaft having, spider arms, and wroughtmetal cross arms bolted to said spider arms.

8. In a rock drilling machine, the combination with a hollow rotatable shaft, of a side of said arms.

10. In a rock drilling machine, the co'mbination with a hollow rotatable shaft, of a skeleton spider head for said shaft haying spider arms, and flat cross arms boltedto the outer ends of the spider arms and connected together to form a rigid frame.

11. In a rock drilling machine, the combination with a frame, of atrack upon which said frame travels, a hollow rotatable shaft carried by said frame, drill supporting arms carried by the forward end of said shaft, spacing rollers projecting forward from said arms, and 'means tending normally to force said frame forward.

12. In a rock drilling machine, the combination with a frame, of a track upon which said frame travels, a hollow rotatable shaft carried by said'frame, drill supporting arms carried by the forward end of said shaft, spacing rollers projecting forward from said arms, means tending normally to force said frame forward, and scrapers at the outer ends of said arms for removing the cuttings.

13.-In a rock drilling machine, the combination with a rotatable head, of skeleton radiating arms secured thereto, and fluid operated drills having clasps adapted to en gage said arms and support the drills at any point from the center to the outer ends.

14. In arock drilling machine, the combi nation with a rotatable head, of skeleton radiating arms secured thereto, fluid operated drills having clamps adapted to engage said arms and support the drills at any point from the center to the outer ends, and means for supporting the drills at the outer ends of the arms at an angle.

15. In a rock drilling machine, the combination with a rotatable head, of skeleton arms secured thereto. fluid operated drills, and adjustable clamps on said drills adapted to engage said arms at any point and support. the drills in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANKLIN M. I-IIER.

VilnesseSr R- P. Ru'ssnnn, M. IIonNmo. 

